


Five Times They Pined, and One Time They Almost Didn't

by puddingparamour



Series: Seraphina and Tina are Cuties [1]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: 3+1 Things, 5 Things, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Badass characters, Because I wanted to, Beta Read, Betaed, Crack, F/F, Fluff and Crack, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Modern Era, Pining, Why Did I Write This?, because im too tired too finish this but i hold it fondly, credence barebone lives with the goldsteins, fun fact apparently i like pairing female characters that i had mini crushes on together, good luck drawing me away, i didnt really sleep, i love my beta reader, im a loser, im just character building, lol i am dead to the world after this, no one is ooc, oh ho ho so much pining, percival is still himself but we mainly see him in private so hes kinda besotted, seraphina is bad at dealing but like ahh she does it anyway, sorry - Freeform, this was kinda stressful though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-10-27 02:05:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17757728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puddingparamour/pseuds/puddingparamour
Summary: A five plus one including pining, cuteness, Tina being doubtful and crushing on Seraphina, and Seraphina being ready to rock until the moment comes.





	1. Off the Owl-Shaped Rocking Chair

**Author's Note:**

> *screams because i both am stressed and love my beta to pieces*

Tina strolled through the store, basket on one arm, list in the other. The two spice containers clinked together, and she stopped to readjust them.

“Goldstein,” a deep voice from her right calls. She glances to her left, confused when she sees no one. Graves clears his throat, and this time she turns to the right. Once Percival Graves was in her view, she starts towards him.

“Boss, I’m surprised to see you here. Prez force you out of the workplace or what?” She continues to read through her list, catching an item that she hasn’t crossed out yet. Graves just stood there, hands almost showing the strain of him not fidgeting with the way the joints bent awkwardly.

“Madam Picquery did threaten to throw me out with two weeks vacation. I decided it would be prudent to leave my office,” he says after a moment's hesitation. His suit looked extremely out of place under the bright fluorescent lights. “I was wondering how Newt was doing?”

Tina smiles, eyes glinting mischievously, “Now that you’ve gotten to your real reason, I have to say, didn’t take you so long this time. Newt’s fine, he’s currently enjoying himself at a dragon reserve. He’s coming to visit us today, though. He’ll be staying for about a week, before heading out. Just a thought.”

“Good to hear,” he says, finally giving in and tugging at his collar. “I have to go get-” he pauses, glancing down at the list magicked onto the handle of the basket, “-Marshmallows?”

“You do that, boss.”

Graves tugs at his collar again, then rushes off to buy some fluffers.

*    * *

Tina quickly enters the door, bags hanging off of her arms. She had run into the landlady, who made her usual tiff about men not being allowed in the building, ‘so don’t get any ideas’. The soup is warm in her hands, but she shivers a bit. Queenie is already cooking, but glances at Tina when she hears her thoughts.

“Madam kicked Percy out of the building?” she asks incredulously. Tina nods, setting down the bag of groceries. “I believe it. Next time you see him, invite him over, ‘kay?”

“Won’t accept, but will do. Where’s Crede?” She eyes the hallway, walking deeper into the apartment.

“Shh! He’s catnappin, best sleep he’s had all week.” Queenie flutters her hands, showing off her motor skills.

“Queens. It’s Sunday.” Tina spins around, mouth slightly uplifted.

“So it is!”

“Newt here yet?” Tina asks, glancing around the kitchen for any stray hints of the chaotic mess. There were none.

Just then, the crack of apparition sounds in the apartment.

“Newt, speak of the devil. Percy was asking after you.” Newt’s first action after arriving was to blush at her words.

“Um,” he says softly, his voice showing how flustered he was. His following words were too quiet and mumbled to understand.

“Sweetie, that’s great!”

“How’s Dence?” he asks, taking a deep breath to go with the blush crashing down on his features.

“He’s doing fine. How’s Boss?” she replies teasingly, and Newt dies a little in that moment. His soul leaves his eyes, then brightens them as he thinks of Percival Graves, MACUSA director extraordinaire.

“Teens, he’s busy comparing Newt’s freckles to stars.”

Newt slowly shrugs off his coat, hanging it on the chair. Pickett, who is currently in his hair, keeps it classy, poking his head out a bit at the women, and chattering on.

“How are Jacob and the President?” he points out in question form, eyes widening in tandem with his mouth in a, ‘you caught me,’ motion.

“Point taken, but I’m the outlier.”

“You’re infatuated with the President. Not an outlier, Teens.”

“Doesn’t count, we’re not together.”

“Percy and I aren’t-”

“Percy, hmm?” Queenie smiles with an oily smugness streaked across her features, her eyes shining over with satisfaction.

“You call him that as well!”

“Only because he can’t stop me, _Arty_.”

Tina looks on at the pair, one blushing and the other like the cat that got a cream soaked canary served on a silver platter. With kibble.

The bickering carries on for a time, Tina watching fondly.

*    * *

The moment Percy sends the owl off, Seraphina barges in. He sighs, face blissful, pen hanging from his fingertips like dripping water.

The sound of Sera loudly chanting leads him to the flashing red exit sign of his reverie.

“Percy, I think I might be in love. Percy, I think I might be in love. Where. Are. My. Marshmallows. I need them, now.” The panicking Sera stalks closer to him, then as she takes in his somewhat dazed appearance, softens and asks. “What happened to you?”

“Newt has the most beautiful eyes, Sera.” The pen falls from his fingers onto the floor, but he doesn’t take notice. Sera glares at his hand, then starts rummaging through the food bags.

“So does Auror Goldstein. And you look like you never go outside. What else is new?” She pulls a marshmallow from the bag, chewing rapidly to calm her frayed nerves. “I am the calmest person I know, this will be fine. I have nothing to worry about. Tina is wonderful, I am wonderfully _not_ crushing on Auror Goldstein, this is fine.”

“Do you think I’ll be easy on the eyes if I-”

“Percy you’re too handsome, shut up and take him somewhere casual. But only after I, the president, take care of my feelings. Your pen is on the floor.”

Percy starts, then looks down as if he’s surprised to find the dropped pen where he somewhat left it. He nods in agreement, still happily contemplating Newt.


	2. Melting Pot of Fondue Wax

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Best bros get bester, what is probably sexual tension grows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapterly reminder that I love my beta and would be dead without.

Percival Graves, currently enjoying his final moments in his final year, is noticeably surprised when a fierce second year walks up to him and bares her arm. Shocked, he offers her a marshmallow in response. Doing so does not make his sleeve rise, rather the opposite happens. His sleeve falls further down his wrist.

The moment passes when a stray leaf brushes his face, and Percy makes to speak first.

“I’ m just going to get this out of the way. Straight, I am not. You’re a second, as well, and I have objections,” he says, his voice seeping in after-test-euphoria.

“Want to take over the government?” she asks, reaching for another marshmallow. He closes his eyes, yawning. The shade from the tree he’s lying against covers the fading streak of kool aid dye.

“Sure thing. I’m barreling towards Auror-dom. What’s the name? I’m Percival Graves. Please don’t call me Percy.”

“Seraphina Picquery, pleasure to meet you.” She reaches to shake his hand, but he grabs it and pats it instead. She uses the distraction to grab the almost empty bag from the cradle of his arm.

“You’ll do politics then. Keep the rest.” He waves the theft away with his hand. “Right, proof.” He drags the sleeve up to show the soul mark, and Sera starts munching on another fluffer.

So starts Seraphina’s marshmallow addiction.

“Also,” he pauses, staring into space as he considers his words, “Neither of us should start a romance unless we’re both fine with the person. Plus it’d be kinda nice to have double dates, Pact?” he asks, holding out his pinky finger.

“We can solidify and revise the agreement later, but yes. Pact.” She hesitantly shakes his pinky.

*    * *

Tina groans, elevating her feet on the stool she snuck under her desk. The sawed-off legs wobble a bit, and she gets up to stretch a bit. Spine sore, she rubs the small of her back. The muffled screech of someone else’s chair follows her, and she looks to the sound, only to catch eyes with the President.

“Auror Goldstein.” Seraphina nods in her direction, and Tina gives a slight bow-nod combo in her direction. She swallows, eyes focused.

“Good afternoon, Madam President.”

“A pleasure,” she says, eyes fleeting in their movement, as they trace Tina’s face. “How are the potions, for your ear?”

“They’re working wonderfully, thank you for asking. I should be back in the field in a week or two. What brings you here today?”

Sera steps closer, then nods in the direction of Percy’s office. “To see Director Graves, though I couldn’t help but stop to greet you when your figure caught my eye.” Said eye flickers across Tina’s arms, taking the tattoos in.

“Then I’ll just sit down, to stop distracting you from your quest.” She doesn’t turn her back to Sera, but bows while backing up.

“Til our next,” she says, inconspicuously biting the inside of her mouth.

As soon as Sera enters the Director’s room, Tina’s legs hit the back of her spinny chair, and she slumps over as the slow clapping starts.

“I feel like we shouldn’t have been watching that.” Someone shoots a rubber band into Marlow’s face after he stops talking. “It was like watching a documentary on the mating rituals of the female homo sapiens,” he continues, almost reaching peak dumbass.

“Would you shut up, Marlow!” Abernathy snaps, hands following his voice movements. He does an extra snap for good measure, continuing his voice’s wish.

“Only if you learn how to spell!” Marlow crows, earning another rubber band to the face. The assaulter has distinct accuracy, hitting his cheek then his nose, but never hitting his eye. Both bands lie on Marlow’s desk, limp and slightly stretched out.

“I’ve been using the spell checker, so shut up!” he says, voice disguised as high and joyful. 

Tina sighs, voice and pose painting a winsome maiden from a romance novel set during the Napoleonic wars. She leans back, chair creaking slightly ominously. Hand on her forehead, she tries to hide her slightly flushed face, but fails. With the other hand she haphazardly reaches for the drawer, opening it and getting out a mint.

“Goldstein, please get some help. Your addiction is getting out of control,” Marlow says, getting a rubber band to the neck.

“Only if you tape your mouth shut for a day. Then and only then will I eat zilch amount of mints.” She mimes zipping her mouth closed, and he sighs.

“Tomorrow it is then. Desk day, hopefully. Can I have an exemption or will I have to do my weaker nonverbals?”

“Exemption. Now leave me to my daydreams.”

*    * *

“Director Graves, please let me hide from the interns.”

“Gladly. The room’s open. Want to transfigure a wax figure of me again? Newt’s in the back room, sleeping, so we’ll have to be quiet this lazy day.”

“The usual face of slight distress, repeating ‘Just place it on the pile,’ when someone enters the door?” she asked, and Percy nods at the two listed requirements,

The next Auror to come in, Auror Staples, caught them in the process of making the faux Percy. They didn’t knock, and just walked back out without alerting the two artistés of their presence. The partners in crime continued sculpting while the Auror alerted the others what was happening. Uncoincidentally, no one else entered the room while they finished.

Marlow catches on fairly quickly about the fake Percy. He continuously opened and closed the door, unaware of the magic surveillance spell while Percy sits on the floor, unwilling to wake the sleeping Newt.

Sera herself lays on the hovering carpet, which had been confiscated from unsuspecting nomaj-es, and then ‘borrowed’ by Percy.

As she slowly drifts to the air, her thoughts, of course, drift to Tina. Eyes open, her brain vacates her in favor of thinking about how wonderful the Auror is. 

Percy himself is resting his arms on the sofa, making sure Newt doesn’t roll off again in his sleep.

So they spend the rest of the day, entertaining themselves by occasionally paying attention to the monitoring spell, generally used for babies to make sure they stay alive and don’t need anything. Fittingly, Percy uses it to check on the Aurors. Marlow continues to embarrass himself, though now the Aurors are chanting him on. 


	3. Tripping Over Love, our Tongues, and Occasionally the Chair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tina and Seraphina! They! Are! Flustered!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D

The real kicker was that the sound of floating bells entering Tina’s ears wasn’t even a comfort anymore. The president strides through, and Tina feels a tinge of longing backed up by a sigh. The chorus of ‘Hello, Madam President,’ rings through the aisles, exempting Marlow. Madam President herself merely nods in response, her simple action of always boldly entering a room going straight to Tina’s heart. She longs for a mint, but the duct taped reminder stops her.

Picquery gives an entrance comparable to kicking the door open with her straight back and The Mask, before slamming her hands on the desk. Graves accepts his fate with a longing look towards the outside before magicking the door shut with a wave of his hand.

“What’s this about a date?” she asks, voice calm but jaw twitch betraying her. She spares a glance at the case on the floor next to the couch.

“Madam, you-”

“This isn’t a  _ Madam _ matter,  _ Percy! _ ”

“Sera, then. We made that pact a long time ago. It’s been over a decade. ‘Sides, I’m not the one who asked,” he says, glancing at the case and then at the door, both times nervously.

“And!” Her voice is strangled as she slumps into the comfortable chair coated with notice-me-not spells as well as a glamor charm to look square and business-like.

“I’ve not even managed to  _ look  _ at Auror Goldstein without dying inside and having to wandlessly cast a blush-be-gone. But here you are, getting asked out on a date. By  _ Newt Scamander. _ You may be my soulmate, Percy, but that doesn’t mean I won’t hex you. Is she soulmated? Is she even single?”

“Are you hopeless? Yes,” he parrots back. Seraphina groans.

“I may be hopeless. But so help me if you aren’t too. Do you know if she’s soulmated or not? _ Tell me _ ,” she dry sobs, face still a calm mask as she looks back up at him

Percival exhales with great exuberance. “Can’t you just check her file by yourself like an adult?”

“No,” she says softly, her misery not quite painted on her face yet, “She would know I checked it.”

“Sera there’s literally no way she could find out.” Her upturned face holding the hope of an antelope just escaped from a rabid gazelle attempting to become a carnivore.

“Could you go with me? Please? I helped you pick out clothes to impress Newt. It’s only one teeny tiny favor,” she wheedles, words drawn out in a high pitched tone.

“Fine. But Tina’s coming to hand over a report in about ten seconds. It’d be the perfect time to interact with her.” Percival smugly eyes the door while watching Seraphina’s panic.

Tina knocks swiftly, the sound making Seraphina rush even more. Percival gives her a moment more, before casting a small glamour charm to make her seem less flustered.

“Come in.”

Tina quietly greets Seraphina, barely glancing at Percival and nodding before turning to her. “Hello, Madam President.”

Percival mutters something that sounds suspiciously like “I’m chopped liver and you’re cut out of my will.” but goes ignored as Tina and Seraphina trade gazes, though Tina is the first one to start out of it. Mainly thanks to Percival, who brings to attention that she came into his office for a reason.

“Sure thing, boss. Here’s my report for the Alpreba incident,” she says, holding out the manilla folder. He takes it and places it down under the tower of folders next to his

desk. The pile is tall enough for him to use it as an armrest from the ground up. He dismisses Tina, and she bows to Seraphina before she leaves.

“She’s so wonderful-Percy I’m so doomed,” she says, and the words echo out after Tina as she hesitates to close the door. Seraphina realizes this right as it clicks, and sinks even further into her chair. Tina herself is blushing like a steam engine. She quickly casts a blush-be-gone or two, and takes a second to calm her heart.

“Very doomed.”

“Any chance the silencing charms caught my blunder?” she asks mournfully, He shakes his head.

“She had to cast multiple temperature regulators because of how hard she was blushing, so you’ve got that going for you. Do you mind covering for me while I go check on Newt? Just sort the top files of my right armrest. Those are the ones that haven’t been sent back because of spelling errors-yet. Could you just review them? I’ve got lunch. Newt’s.”

“Fine. But check if she’s soulmated or no. Do it,” she commands, and Percival nods in acceptance. “Now out of my new chair. Looks comfy.”

Percy exits the room, leaving Seraphina to herself. She sinks into his chair, glaring at his paperwork all the while. She slowly starts working through them, hoping for a distraction by the seventh time she caught an error from Abernathy. The red pen slashes again and she frowns for the seventh time, pondering if they should hold a course on reports that included how to use proper grammar and punctuation.

Sitting up, she fidgets before throwing her leg over the side, and she continues that way for about half an hour, occasionally looking up to daydream about Tina.

Percy walks in the room to find Seraphina with her back to the seat of the chair and her legs swung over the back. Placing the bouquet he picked up for her on his desk, he continued down into the case for his scheduled lunch date. The takeout bag in one hand, another bouquet in the other.

Seraphina duplicates one of the more terrifyingly marked reports, then transfigures it into a delicate black and white vase with red swirls. A sticking charm to prevent any unfortunate future happenings, and one  _ augmenta _ later, the flowers were placed in the vase.

Seraphina reverts back to the back on seat position, the stack of marked reports continued to grow, but the stack of unreviewed reports still could be used as an armrest. Seraphina reaches for the next one, drawing out the action. She sits up again when someone knocks again, and calls for them to come in.

“Boss, I was wondering-” Tina cuts herself off when she realizes who she’s talking to. Seraphina gives up on remaining with her dignity and just goes back into her position. “Madam President! I didn’t realize you were still here,” she says nervously, scratching her nails along the folder a bit.

“I’m here to cover for Percy while he has lunch with his darling. I’ve escaped from the interns and all others who need me. Does Auror Abernathy know how to spell?” she asks, looking over another of his reports. The pen slashes again, and she holds it above her head to show the five different marks on the one page. 

“I’m not sure, at this point.” Tina walks over to the side of the desk and places the folder on the time-sensitive pile. Sera barely spares it a glance, instead preferring to twist her head to stare at Tina, Sighing, she tries to memorize the curves and shadows of her face, taking note the bags under her eyes.

“Auror Goldstein, why don’t you stay in the office with me? You look tired. Just take a nap on the couch, I’ll firecall Ms. Goldstein if you sleep past the time to leave.”

“Madam President, thank you. But I haven’t finished my reports yet.”

“Then bring them in here. I’m here for the rest of the day, and I can simply kick Percy out if it comes down to it. He’s probably forgotten about me and is staring into Scamander’s eyes and comparing his freckles to stars in his mind. I am tired and I want some company.”

Tina laughs nervously and walks out to grab her things. She hurries back in, muttering an excuse to the other Aurors. Seraphina directs her to the hidden chair, and she lugs it to the edge of the desk. The stack of papers make up much less than what’s hidden beneath Percy’s desk, which barely leaves enough space to put one's legs. Several stacks of paper, all nearly hitting the top of the desk, cover the floor, two square’s worth left of space.

Percy would blame it on Grindelwald, but it had been like that for years now, since before he even took office. The case files occasionally turned out to be old ones, ones that were supposed to be filed away by management. But management never happened, and his file drawers were already overflowing. Not even expansion charms could save him. Occasionally he looked down at them and lost all hope for living.

Sera had moved back into position, another file held in front of her face. Percy often moved around in his chair as well, the need for respectability the only thing keeping the two squares available. The chair had so many cushioning charms on it that it was like sitting on a giant ball of pillow stuffing. Percy, always suffering, made sure of that.. The time passes with the two women sitting together and dealing with papers.

“I’m going to go stop for my break now, go grab some soup. Want some?”

“Sure.”

Tina heads out the door, tensing in preparation for the teasing. Much to her surprise, there’s no one else there. Scowling about overtime pay, she relaxedly walks through the building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could you maybe comment and let me know how it's going?


End file.
